Thera 1.9: Pilinda-Vaccha
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(9):Pilinda-Vaccha Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =9. Pilinda-Vaccha= Reborn at Sāvatthī as a brahmin's son, before the Exalted One became a Buddha, they named him Pilinda, Vaccha being the name of his clan. He became a recluse, and acquired the charm(magic) called the Lesser Gandhāra,1 deriving from that great renown. But when our Exalted One became Buddha the charm(magic) ceased to work. He having learnt that the Greater Gandhara spell stopped the Less, 15 concluded that Gotama(Buddha) the recluse knew the former, and he waited on him in the hope of acquiring it, asking if the chance might be granted him. The Exalted One(Buddha) answered: 'You must leave the world(for monkhood).' He, fancying that this was a preparation for the charm(magic),2 did so. To him the Exalted One taught the Path(Dhamma), and gave him exercise in meditation, so that he, the conditions being ripe, attained arahantship(enlightenment). Now one who, in consequence of Pilinda's guidance in a former birth, had gone to heaven as a deva, waited on him morning and evening out of gratitude. Hence the Monk was distinguished as one dear to the gods, and was ranked chief among the monks who were such by the Exalted One(Buddha).3 And Pilinda one day, sitting among the monks, and reflecting on his success, declared to them how the charm(magic) had brought him to the Exalted One(Buddha) uttering this saying(gatha): ---- 9 Svāgataɱ na durāgataɱ nayidaɱ dumantitaɱ mama|| Saɱvibhattesu dhammesu yaɱ seṭṭhaɱ tadupāgaminti.|| || ---- 9 O welcome this that came, nor came amiss! O goodly was the advice given to me! among many doctrines mooted among men Of all it was sure the Best I sought and found. ---- 1 On the Gandhāra Vijjā, or charm — not, as here, distinguished as twofold — see Dialogues, i. 278. Cf. Jat., iv. 498 f. The charm is here said to confer the power both of going through the air and of thought-reading. The identity of this Thera with the Pilinda-Vaccha of Rājagaha (Vin. Texts, ii. 61). is doubtful; yet cf. next p., n. 2. 2 This fresh renunciation (pabbajjā must have meant entering the Order, although this is not stated. Contrast with Pilinda's mistaken view, Dialogues, i. 278, and iii., XXIV., Ī4. Cf. Vangīsa, CCLXIV. 3 Ang., i. 24, the Cy. on which quotes Udānaŋ, iii. 6. ---- 1.1-99 Commentary on the stanza of =Pilindavaccha Thera= The stanza starting with Svāgataṃ constitutes the stanza of the Thera Pilindavaccha. What is the origin? It is said that this one was reborn in the city of Haṃsavatī in a highly wealthy family, at the time of Buddha Padumuttara. In the self-same manner as aforesaid, as he listened to the dhamma in the presence of the Master, he saw the Master placing a bhikkhu(monk) at the foremost position because of his being loved (piya) and thought of (manāpa) by divine-beings. Having aspired for that ranking position, he did good deeds as long as his life-span lasted and on having passed away thence, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths, and was reborn in the human world at the time of the Blessed One Sumedha. When the Blessed One passed away to parinibbāna he made reverential offering (pūjā) to the shrine (thūpa) of the Master, brought about a great charity to the clergy (Saṅgha) also and on having passed away thence, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths but among the divine and human beings, became a world-king before Buddha had arisen, had his large number of subjects properly established in the five moral precepts and made them bound (parāyana) to heaven (sagga). He came to be reborn in the house of a brahmin at Sāvatthi even before the appearance of our Glorius One. They gave him the name “Pilinda.” Vaccha, however, was his clan. On that account he came to be clearly called (pahnāyittha) “Pilindavacca” subsequently. Because of his abundant remorse in rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra), however, he renounced the world, became a wandering ascetic (paribbājaka), had himself accomplished in such an applied-knowledge (vijjā) known as cūḷa andhāra, become a sky wanderer (ākāsacārī) as well as knower of thoughts of others (paracittavidū), attained foremost gain and fame and took up his proper residence at Rājagaha. Thereafter as and when our Blessed One specially became self-awakened Buddha and gradually reached Rājagaja, beginning from then, because of the power of Buddha, that aplied knowledge (vijjā) of his did not work well; he could not accomplish his own tasks (kicca). He pondered over thus:– “Have heard, however, indeed, in this being said by succession of teachers thus:– “Where the applied knowledge (vijjā) of great gandhāra pravails there, the applied knowledge (vijjā) of small gandhāra becomes futile (na sampajjati); beginning from the time the monk Gotama had come (here) this applied knowledge of mine has not worked well (sampajjati); undoubtedly the monk Gotama knows the applied knowledge (vijjā) of great gandhāra; it would be better should I serve him all round and learn that applied knowledge (vijjā) in his presence” He approached the Blessed One and said thus: “O Great Monk! I am desirious of learning an applied knowledge (vijjā) in your presence; kindly make an opportunity for me.” The Blessed One said: “Well then, you should become a monk.” He became a monk thinking thus: “Monkhood constitutes the requisite preliminary (parikamma) to applied knowledge (vijjā).’ The Blessed One taught to him the dhamma and gave him such mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) as is appropriate to his conduct (carita). Because of his being endowed with sufficing qualification to become noble (upanissaya) he developed clear insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship but before long. The divine beings who were reborn in heaven (sagga) because they had abided by his advice in their previos existence, however, because abundantly grateful minded (bahumāna) on account of that gratitude they owed to him, attended upon the Thera morning and evening and went their way. That is why the thera attained the foremost in being loved and thought of (manāpa) by divine beings. Therfore, is has been said in the Apadāna:– “When the world protector Sumedha, the foremost personage entered nibbāna, pious- minded and good-hearted I made reverential offering to the shrine. Those who were canker-free Thera, with six sorts of super knowledge and high magical powers, them I brought together there, and I made meal for the clergy. The serving attendent of the Glroious One Sumedha was then known by the name of Sumedha. On that occasion, he made thanksgiving. On account of that pleasing piety of my mind, I reached the (celestial) mansion. Eightysix thousand nymphs bemused me. But to me they were at my back and call (anuvattanti), they provide me always with all sensual pleasures. I over- powered other divine beings; this was the fruition of my meritorious deed. Twenty five aeons (kappa) ago, I was a warrior prince (khattiya) named Varuna. I was one who enjoyed clearly clean food; I was then a world-king. They did not sow seeds; neither did they make use of the plough; people partook of such barley (sāli) that was not cooked by firewood. Having exercised my sovereignty there I went again to become a divine-being. Then also I was of this type, having sprung up prosperous with wealth. Whether friend or foe all creatures never heressed me. I was dear to all of them also; this is the fruition of my meritorious deed. Thirty thousand aeons ago, whatever charity I gave then; I do not remember any adversity (duggati); this is the fruition of the smearing of sweet-scent. In this aeon of five Buddha (bhadda kappa) I became a monarch of men; I was a king of great power, the world- king of great vigour. That I made many men established in five moral precepts; I made them reach but to heaven (sugati); I became beloved of the gods (deva). My depravity had been burnt, … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. Likewise, indeed, because of the fact that his Thera was excessively to be beloved of the celestial beings (devatā), the Blessed One placed him at the foremost position by the condition of being loved and fondly thought of by the gods (devatā) saying: “O monks! This one is the chief of my disciple-bhikkhus loved and fondly thought of by the gods (devatā), namely this Pilinda Vaccha. Seated one day amidst the clergy of bhikkhus(monks), he reflected on his own qualities and recited a stanza starting with “svāgāhāpagataṃ,” praising the coming of signs of knowledge (vijjānimitta) which had become the cause (kāraṇa) of those qualities, in the presence of the Glorius One. 9. There the expression Svāgataṃ means excellent coming; this mine; thus, is the connection. In other words, svāgataṃ is to be construed as well-arrived by me; thus, the case-ending (vibhatti) should be altered. The expression nāpagataṃ is to be construed as not gone out, not departed from the special development of welfare. The expression: nayidaṃ dumantitaṃ nana is to be construde as: for me, this had not been wrongly spoken nor had this been worngly investigated. This has been said: My arrival at the presence of the Blessed One, or my having come there, was good arrival; because of the state of having well-arrived, even it was not bad arrival. For me as and what had been announced said and spoken as “I shall listen to the dhamma and become a monk in the presence of the Blessed One” or investigated by my mind, this also had not been wrongly announced. Now, in order to show the cause there, he said: “saṃvibhattesu” and so on. The expression: saṃvibhattesu means: in what had been analysed from the point of view of characteristic (pakāra). The expression dhammesu means conprehensible truths (dhamma); or in the truths of cesstion (samathadhamma); in the said truths (dhamma) after having been well analysed by way of natural beginning with different details of heresy (titthiya) and by way of painful suffering (dukkha) and so on by self-awakened Buddhas. The expression yaṃseṭṭhaṃ tadupāgamiṃ is to be construed thus:– Whatever best is there, that is the teaching (dhamma) of the four-fold noble ruth (catusacca); I approached either to get enlightened of it, the teaching (dhamma) of dispensation (sāsana) or saying: “This is dhamma and this is vinaya” I did approach; or whatever is best, nost excellent, clearly rewarding there, in the natural truths (dhamma) well-analysed in accordance with their nature by way of good deeds (kusala) and so on, and by way of aggragates (khandha) and so on but by the self-awakened Buddhas, that right path (magga), that noble fruition (phala) and that nibbāna truth (dhamma) I did reach; from my own personal experience I did go towards and I visualised; therefore, for me, it was good going (svāgataṃ) but not having gone at a tangent (apagata), well announced but not ill-announced; thus, is the interpretation. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Pilindavaccha is complete. *********oOo********* ----